Behind the Badge
The Westminster PD on Thursday, March 20, said grocery shopping has eased some on the day Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order took effect mandating that people stay at home unless they need to handle an essential need, such as seeing a doctor or buying groceries, to combat the coronavirus crisis.
And Westminster residents have been behaving in an orderly manner at a time when nerves are frayed and anxiety remains about the rapidly evolving public-health emergency, WPD officials said.
Shoppers line up waiting for the Westminster Target on Beach Boulevard to open on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
“Everyone is behaving themselves,” WPD Commander Alan Iwashita said. “Certain shopping centers remain busy, but the lines have seemed to have gotten shorter.”
Iwashita said the WPD has responded to a couple of disturbance calls at shopping venues since people started “panic buying” essentials and food, but that there have been no serious incidents, such as assault.
Rick Ambray of Santa Ana waits in the Costco line with others at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 wearing gloves and a face mask.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Iwashita said.
Most of the long lines have been at a Walmart and Costco Business Center at Beach Boulevard and Trask Avenue, and the stores remained busy Thursday – but less busy as they were earlier in the week, Iwashita said.
With the line starting to form at 2:30 a.m., on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, a line of shoppers waiting to get into the Westminster Costco loops from one end of the parking lot and back again.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
“Our officers continue to work hard to keep our community as safe as possible,” Iwashita said. “Our entire agency would like to extend a thank you to the public for conducting themselves in an orderly way and for following orders to help prevent the spread of this potentially deadly virus.”
A line of shoppers makes its way around the building as the Walmart in Westminster opens at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Shoppers line up to get into the Walmart in Westminster before the store opens at 7 a.m. with the first people starting the line at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Johnny To of Garden Grove walks out of the Westminster Costco with hard-to-find items.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Costco trucks, fresh from unloading new supplies, remain in the parking lot as shoppers loop around.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Shoppers line up to enter the Costco store in Westminster on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Shoppers in line at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Kelly Maali of Huntington Beach exits the Costco in Westminster with items that are hard to find elsewhere.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Shoppers in line, some since 5 a.m. on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, walk through the entrance of the Westminster Walmart when it opened at 7 a.m.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
Empty shelves at the Albertsons in Westminster show the most sought-after and hard-to-find items: toilet paper and paper towels. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge
